Chancellor visits CHASS

NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson visited CHASS on August 23 to learn more about some of the research underway and to get a closer, more personal view of life within our dynamic college. He started his afternoon immersion experience over lunch with a group of CHASS undergraduate and graduate students who described their research and scholarship to him. (See the Technician article.)

The chancellor then attended sessions in four of the college’s 10 departments, where he heard about 11 interdisciplinary research projects pioneered by faculty.

The chancellor appeared to be thoroughly engaged as he asked questions about the transformative nature of the faculty’s research. He wanted to know about the various projects’ progress, the researchers’ struggles and their goals. Digital humanities, the Integrated Language Learning Initiative, public history efforts and genetically modified mosquitoes were among the topics the chancellor heard about during the sessions.

“It’s profound work with huge implications,” he said of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures’ involvement in the Integrated Language Learning Initiative. The initiative aims to change the way the American military trains soldiers for leadership roles in foreign cultures.

After a presentation in the digital humanities on a program that will give anyone the opportunity to virtually experience a worship service as if he or she were actually there centuries ago, Chancellor Woodson exclaimed, “If only you could smell it too!”

A faculty question and answer session of over 75 attendees wrapped up Chancellor Woodson’s busy day visiting CHASS.